I hung my hammock between two tall pines at Hartman Creek State Park, looking forward to a good night’s sleep and a view of the stars. Didn’t get either. Someone down the road had their radio going all night, so I drifted in and out of sleep to the tunes they shared with everyone else in the camp. And the skies were a solid overcast all night, so no stars. To top it off, at about four o’clock in the morning we got some rain, requiring me to roll out of bed to stake out my rain fly.

To restore my spirits, I left the park at about seven in the morning to look for a hot, delicious breakfast in town. I found one at Little Fat Gretchen’s in downtown Waupaca, a cozy local restaurant on N. Main Street that serves delicious breakfasts. I ordered a 2-egg breakfast with hash browns and bacon, and will personally attest it will restore your spirits for the rest of the day.

After breakfast, I backtracked to the Knight Lane Landing to paddle the Chain O’ Lakes for an hour or so. I’ve put in here before to paddle the five small lakes where motorboats aren’t allowed: Marl Lake, Pope Lake, Manomin Lake, Knight Lake, and Lake Orlando. The Chain O’ Lakes is a fun place to visit, but in my opinion these are the most beautiful lakes of the bunch. I first paddled on these lakes many years ago when our family stayed at a cabin on Orlando, and I’ve returned many times since then to enjoy the peace and quiet.

I paddled the lakes for as long as I could stand the heat — it got really hot. The longer I was there, the hotter it got. I was dripping sweat by the time I decided to haul out, so naturally enough I wanted to cool off, and what better way to do that than with a scoop of ice cream?

Luckily, one of my favorite places for ice cream was just down the road. Scooper’s Ice Cream is very popular with the tourists but I got there ahead of the crowds, thank goodness, so I could enjoy my treat in peace.